INSIDE: ART CAMP WORKSHOPS AT GALLERY, PET OF THE WEEK + MORE
Council News CITY OF WAGGA WAGGA
FIRST PRINTED SATURDAY 9 JANUARY 2021
Issue No: 327
Weekly information from us to you
fun + festive vibe gives city boost on NYE Wagga Wagga residents and visitors to the city enjoyed a fun and festive New Year’s Eve in the Central Business District, which was abuzz with a family-friendly vibe including street entertainment and activations. See full story on page 4.
Get kids started in Outback Lifesavers The chance to learn lifesaving water safety skills at pools and inland waterways is now open to Wagga Wagga youngsters who are being encouraged to join a new program being rolled out in the city.
Wagga Wagga City Council and Royal Life Saving NSW have partnered to deliver the State’s first Outback Lifesaver program which will start with proficiency swim testing at the Oasis Regional Aquatic Centre on Sunday 17 January 2021.
Parents and carers keen to get their children involved in the inaugural program are being urged to register on the Royal Life Saving NSW website. Limited places are still available and can be booked at royalnsw.com.au/EDUCATION/ Outback-Lifesaver Up to 120 primary school-aged children have the opportunity to take part during Term 1 of 2021 with the first of nine sessions at Wagga Beach to start on Sunday 31 January and finish on 28 March. RLSNSW Project Co-ordinator Renee Amidy said introducing young people to different aquatic environments is crucial to developing important skills around the water. “The Royal Life Saving Outback Lifesaver Program has been developed to provide
children and community groups with the opportunity to acquire relevant skills and knowledge to safely participate in recreational activities in our open water environments,” Ms Amidy said. “As children grow, they become exposed to a range of recreational water activities including surfing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting and water skiing. “Outback Lifesavers is all about being active and having fun and we strongly encourage parents and carers with children between 8-13 years of age to utilise their Active Kids Voucher and get involved. “It is important that children have the opportunity to develop foundation lifesaving skills and acquire relevant knowledge pertinent to our inland waterways. There is still a number of places available for the
Weekly waste tip Food goes nude! Please remove packaging from food waste before placing in your kitchen caddy.
under 13 years age group so we’d love to see those kids who are potentially starting Year 7 this year signed up for the program.” Council’s Strategic Recreation Officer Peter Cook said the community program was a unique opportunity and encouraged registrations as soon as possible. “Education is a major part of safety around inland waterways. Rivers present a number of challenges, many of which cannot be seen, such as submerged objects, cold water and strong under-current,” Mr Cook said. “We really want to see the community get behind this program. We want people to learn how to respect the river … and having parents and carers alongside our younger members of the community while learning these skills will be invaluable.” Continued on page 2.